NationStates Jolt Archive

I am a Creative Industries student, and just like most students, I have an addiction to coffee, and let's just say, my lovely Asus laptop and coffee don't mix.

So, I'm on the hunt for a new computer, and, despite my sexy nerd glasses, I'm a little cluless about this!

I'd really prefer a light notebook, because I can carry it to uni. I also want it to be fast enough to run all the programs I'm going to need, and I'm not even sure what programs I should get yet! My course is interdisciplinary, but I'm focusing mainly on film. I'm also into digital photography, graphic design, digital art, music & music production (particularly recording) and I'd love to learn animation. I'm thinking of getting Photoshop, Fireworks, and Avid, so I also need a computer that fits the requirements for those programs.

Any ideas about what computer, programs & any extras I should buy?

Do you have some sort of budget?

Do you have some sort of budget?

Insurance is covering for $1500 AUS, but I'm willing to spend up to maybe $2500?

Looks like you're going to need a higher end laptop there.
A basic low-end model will suffer under what you're going throw at it.

You'll need a dedicated video card as well as a large hard drive.
Do not buy a laptop with "shared video" if you do plan to do video editing.

Memory - you'll need at least 2GB of RAM.
Hard drive - try to get 250Gb.
Screen I think 14.1" or 15.4" will do, 17" laptops are bloody heavy.
Video card - nVidia 8600 or the ATI equivalent.

Good video cards can link to high spec external monitors if you need two screens.

Insurance is covering for $1500 AUS, but I'm willing to spend up to maybe $2500?
Shit, Austrailian Dollars!!!!
Screen I think 14.1" or 15.4" will do, 17" laptops are bloody heavy.
Video card - nVidia 8600 or the ATI equivalent.
Screen is a somewhat personal thing. Bigger is better but heavier. You can get most in several screen sizes. I have a 17", but still wish I got the 19"....

I'd also never recommend ATI. Even their Windows drivers suck.

EDIT: Actually I have a 15", but wish I had a 17". Posi needs to learn that 15 = 15....

Shit, Austrailian Dollars!!!!

Screen is a somewhat personal thing. Bigger is better but heavier. You can get most in several screen sizes. I have a 17", but still wish I got the 19"....

I'd also never recommend ATI. Even their Windows drivers suck.

True, ATI video drivers have weird isues. I gave an old X700 Pro to a friend, old drivers worked but current ones didn't! Go figure.
Mind you the ATI X1700 on my ASUS A8Jp works fine. My desktop's OCed nVidia 7600GT still beats though.

I'm not one to carry around 5KG 17" laptop.

da Razor.. I mean da Ibook... i mean macbook air :D

http://images.macworld.com/images/news/graphics/131583-mbair_large.jpg

da Razor.. I mean da Ibook... i mean macbook air :D

http://blogs.cnet.com/i/bto/20080124/131583-mbair_large_270x112.jpg

Never mind the fact that it does not have the specs to run what he will need to run....

True, ATI video drivers have weird isues. I gave an old X700 Pro to a friend, old drivers worked but current ones didn't! Go figure.
Mind you the ATI X1700 on my ASUS A8Jp works fine. My desktop's OCed nVidia 7600GT still beats though.

I'm not one to carry around 5KG 17" laptop.With my X1800 the driver will always crash, eventually. I've updated the drivers regularly, but it persists. Usually it can take over a day of Crysis and WoW, but Sims 2 will kill it every 15 minutes.

Never mind the fact that it does not have the specs to run what he will need to run....its a she BTW ;)

its a she BTW ;)
Bullshit. There are no girls on the internet.

My List of Suggestions (TM):

Apple MacBook Pro
Might as well get it out of the way first. In b4 you refuse macfaggotry, remember it can run Windows (but to do so, will cost whatever Windows cost in Australia). At one time, it was the fastest Windows laptop, but this is no longer the case. If you fill out a few forms to prove you are a student, you will also get a free iPod. Being a Mac, it is will only have one button on the scrollpad and be among the more brittle. I have found that Mac keyboards cannot take spills well either. Also, being a Mac, to get a 17" screen, increases the price a good A$1,000 by forcing you to take in other upgrades. The 15" is slightly outside your budget at $2900 (plus Windows).

Dell Inspiron 1720
Fits the budget. Comes with a 17" monitor. You can get a 1520 for a 15" monitor. Be sure to configure it with an NVIDIA 8600. When it says color selection, it means only the top cover (backside of the monitor). I got mine (I have a 1520) in white, expecting the whole thing to be white... The frontside of the monitor and keyboard area are grey and the bottom black. I think they could have done a better job at making it look nice. The trackpad is also worse than normal for accidental tapping (press the trackpad twice quickly and it acts as a mouse button). You can get a 1720 for A$1900

Some ASUS Notebook.
You have owned an ASUS before, and no what problems you can expect, if any. I could not find a price listing on there site, so I cannot recommend any particular model. In the great white north, ASUS tends to get much of its sale from walk in computer stores (Future Shop, NCIX, etc). Make sure it has a NVIDIA 8600 and 2GiB of RAM. It should be comparable in price to a Dell...

I looked a few other places, but you couldn't really get anything in your budget that fits your needs. I know the Mac doesn't fit the budget either, but its recommendation is really inevitable.

Some general notes:
Most schools seem to like to pick Windows only programs with some obscure feature that no competitor has, but your class uses. Going with the Mac and OS X could prove troublesome. However, multimedia has been one of Apple's stronger niches so this could be unlikely. I would look into all courses you would be taking and see what the software you will have to run is.

The default hard drive is going to be small (80 to 160 GiB). If you can budget it, upgrade it. If you are working in multimedia, you are going to use that space quickly.

Nobody knows the differences between the different version of Windows Vista. I'd think Windows Vista Home Premium should be good enough. Don't get any version with Basic in its name.

Ooh, yes ... the Abacus 250CE++.
Stellar performance, classic looks, real analog kinda stuff.

My List of Suggestions (TM):

Apple MacBook Pro
Might as well get it out of the way first. In b4 you refuse macfaggotry, remember it can run Windows (but to do so, will cost whatever Windows cost in Australia). At one time, it was the fastest Windows laptop, but this is no longer the case. If you fill out a few forms to prove you are a student, you will also get a free iPod. Being a Mac, it is will only have one button on the scrollpad and be among the more brittle. I have found that Mac keyboards cannot take spills well either. Also, being a Mac, to get a 17" screen, increases the price a good A$1,000 by forcing you to take in other upgrades. The 15" is slightly outside your budget at $2900 (plus Windows).

I would like to point out that my PowerBook G4 has taken all manner of abuse and is still tickin'. I'm pretty sure I've even spilled something on it.

Look, man, if you're leaning towards film and the like, you're better off with the Mac. First of all, Final Cut Pro. It's slowly replacing AVID as a standard, and unless you're going into editing specifically, it's the standard. More importantly, most of the people you'll be sharing work with will have Macs.

As a student you can get a better deal on Macs (they'll never be as cheap as a PC, but they'll do what you need) and you can pretty much get straight to editing as soon as you get it out of the box.

There are a lot of reasons why a Mac isn't for everyone. But for what you said you wanted to do, it's pretty much the one.

I don't see the 17" as necessary. If it turns out you need more screen you can buy one later, but 15" works fine.

I'm pretty sure I've even spilled something on it.


...does it have anything to do with Mugwumps? :eek:

...does it have anything to do with Mugwumps? :eek:

Well, it did resemble a tainted cheese...




Oh lordy, I'm now both grossed and creeped out...

Well, it did resemble a tainted cheese...




Oh lordy, I'm now both grossed and creeped out...

The computer must really, REALLY be worth it. *nods emphatically*

The computer must really, REALLY be worth it. *nods emphatically*

Well, it's kind of a plate now that I lick it up until I vomit, then lick it up again...








...I really shouldn't know this much of that off the top of my head...

I would like to point out that my PowerBook G4 has taken all manner of abuse and is still tickin'. I'm pretty sure I've even spilled something on it.Really? My Mac keyboards have always been nuked by there first spill.

Are you saying your keyboard is "kind of a plate now"? :eek:

For my black meat, yes. (and now another sharp turn for this thread looms...I'm willing to bet the OP didn't see a side-trek into Interzone when he asked about computers...)

Well, it's kind of a plate now that I lick it up until I vomit, then lick it up again...








...I really shouldn't know this much of that off the top of my head...
Are you saying your keyboard is "kind of a plate now"? :eek:

dell xps m1330
2.20 ghz core 2 duo
2 gig ram
250 gb harddrive
external HDMI socket
GeForce 8400m GS
fingerprint scanner if u want it
13.5 inch screen.
chnage to XP instead of leaving vista on. its too slow

Good laptop, way light and stylish

Bullshit. There are no girls on the internet.

Oh, there are.
I'm one of them.

Looks like you're going to need a higher end laptop there.
A basic low-end model will suffer under what you're going throw at it.

You'll need a dedicated video card as well as a large hard drive.
Do not buy a laptop with "shared video" if you do plan to do video editing.

Memory - you'll need at least 2GB of RAM.
Hard drive - try to get 250Gb.
Screen I think 14.1" or 15.4" will do, 17" laptops are bloody heavy.
Video card - nVidia 8600 or the ATI equivalent.

Good video cards can link to high spec external monitors if you need two screens.

Yeh, I was thinking a 15.4. The 17" I'm using right now is like 5kg!

da Razor.. I mean da Ibook... i mean macbook air :D

http://images.macworld.com/images/news/graphics/131583-mbair_large.jpg

I looked at that today. I'm just worried about...well... the whole Mac/PC thing... Is everything going to be... like... compatible... and... shit?

My List of Suggestions (TM):

Apple MacBook Pro
Might as well get it out of the way first. In b4 you refuse macfaggotry, remember it can run Windows (but to do so, will cost whatever Windows cost in Australia). At one time, it was the fastest Windows laptop, but this is no longer the case. If you fill out a few forms to prove you are a student, you will also get a free iPod. Being a Mac, it is will only have one button on the scrollpad and be among the more brittle. I have found that Mac keyboards cannot take spills well either. Also, being a Mac, to get a 17" screen, increases the price a good A$1,000 by forcing you to take in other upgrades. The 15" is slightly outside your budget at $2900 (plus Windows).

Dell Inspiron 1720
Fits the budget. Comes with a 17" monitor. You can get a 1520 for a 15" monitor. Be sure to configure it with an NVIDIA 8600. When it says color selection, it means only the top cover (backside of the monitor). I got mine (I have a 1520) in white, expecting the whole thing to be white... The frontside of the monitor and keyboard area are grey and the bottom black. I think they could have done a better job at making it look nice. The trackpad is also worse than normal for accidental tapping (press the trackpad twice quickly and it acts as a mouse button). You can get a 1720 for A$1900

Some ASUS Notebook.
You have owned an ASUS before, and no what problems you can expect, if any. I could not find a price listing on there site, so I cannot recommend any particular model. In the great white north, ASUS tends to get much of its sale from walk in computer stores (Future Shop, NCIX, etc). Make sure it has a NVIDIA 8600 and 2GiB of RAM. It should be comparable in price to a Dell...

I looked a few other places, but you couldn't really get anything in your budget that fits your needs. I know the Mac doesn't fit the budget either, but its recommendation is really inevitable.

Some general notes:
Most schools seem to like to pick Windows only programs with some obscure feature that no competitor has, but your class uses. Going with the Mac and OS X could prove troublesome. However, multimedia has been one of Apple's stronger niches so this could be unlikely. I would look into all courses you would be taking and see what the software you will have to run is.

The default hard drive is going to be small (80 to 160 GiB). If you can budget it, upgrade it. If you are working in multimedia, you are going to use that space quickly.

Nobody knows the differences between the different version of Windows Vista. I'd think Windows Vista Home Premium should be good enough. Don't get any version with Basic in its name.

I think I'll get an external hard drive, so I won't worry too much about the default hard drive. The Mac looks good, but like I said above... will it work...with everything... and stuff? Some of the people I know use Mac entirely and others, like the guy who does my sound recording, uses entirely PC. Luckily, Avid can be used on PC and Mac. Thanks so much for all the information! I'm going to have to print it out.

I would like to point out that my PowerBook G4 has taken all manner of abuse and is still tickin'. I'm pretty sure I've even spilled something on it.

Look, man, if you're leaning towards film and the like, you're better off with the Mac. First of all, Final Cut Pro. It's slowly replacing AVID as a standard, and unless you're going into editing specifically, it's the standard. More importantly, most of the people you'll be sharing work with will have Macs.

As a student you can get a better deal on Macs (they'll never be as cheap as a PC, but they'll do what you need) and you can pretty much get straight to editing as soon as you get it out of the box.

There are a lot of reasons why a Mac isn't for everyone. But for what you said you wanted to do, it's pretty much the one.

I don't see the 17" as necessary. If it turns out you need more screen you can buy one later, but 15" works fine.

Really? I always thought Final Cut Pro was more... highschool. Well, that's what we used in highschool. I suppose if I got the Mac, I could have both because Avid can be used on Mac too. Half of the people I know use Mac, and the other half use PC so I'm really unsure of what to pick. Yeh, and I'll be happy with the 15", because at least it will be lighter.

dell xps m1330
2.20 ghz core 2 duo
2 gig ram
250 gb harddrive
external HDMI socket
GeForce 8400m GS
fingerprint scanner if u want it
13.5 inch screen.
chnage to XP instead of leaving vista on. its too slow

Good laptop, way light and stylish

Thank you, I'll check it out.

I think I'll get an external hard drive, so I won't worry too much about the default hard drive. The Mac looks good, but like I said above... will it work...with everything... and stuff? Some of the people I know use Mac entirely and others, like the guy who does my sound recording, uses entirely PC. Luckily, Avid can be used on PC and Mac. Thanks so much for all the information! I'm going to have to print it out.



Really? I always thought Final Cut Pro was more... highschool. Well, that's what we used in highschool. I suppose if I got the Mac, I could have both because Avid can be used on Mac too. Half of the people I know use Mac, and the other half use PC so I'm really unsure of what to pick. Yeh, and I'll be happy with the 15", because at least it will be lighter.

FCP is what I used in college. And I hardly ever see work pop up for AVID editors, but a lot for FCP.

If it's half PC and half Mac users in your group, the new Mac will split the difference because it runs both OSX and Windows. That really is your most flexible position.

Ditto, the Mac is probably your best bet. You can dual boot on a Mac, so Windoze stuff isn't a problem. It'd cost you extra for Windows, but it is an option.

And don't worry, Macs use similar parts to a PC these days.

Computers are like women; You want the best one you can afford. :)

dell xps m1330
2.20 ghz core 2 duo
2 gig ram
250 gb harddrive
external HDMI socket
GeForce 8400m GS
fingerprint scanner if u want it
13.5 inch screen.
chnage to XP instead of leaving vista on. its too slow

Good laptop, way light and stylish

That computer is way better than mine of 1.6Ghz dual core and a crappy video card but mine still runs Vista great. He shouldn't have any problems with speed on that machine. With 2Gb RAM Vista will load commonly used programs faster due to the SuperFetch function witch preloads them into the RAM.

Technology is the work of Satan!!

*exorcises computer*

That computer is way better than mine of 1.6Ghz dual core and a crappy video card but mine still runs Vista great. He shouldn't have any problems with speed on that machine. With 2Gb RAM Vista will load commonly used programs faster due to the SuperFetch function witch preloads them into the RAM.
Vista still has a few bugs, though it's getting there. I'd agree with the XP assertion for now, particularly since networking with Vista is very underdeveloped, but give Vista a year of patching up and it should be in a usable state.

Anyway, to Contribute: The Dell XPS already suggested is a nice machine, but do bear in mind that with those kind of specs, it will set you back about $1900-2000. If you're looking for something a bit cheaper without losing much in terms of power, I highly recommend the Acer Aspire series (http://www.acerdirect.co.uk/Acer_Aspire_5920G-302G25Hi_Laptop_LX.AN60X.041/version.asp); this particular model detracts from the dell only in a .2Ghz clock speed loss with the advantage of being about $500 cheaper and having a better graphics card. That'll give you a bit more cash to spend on your software.

Specs:

2.00 ghz core 2 duo
2 gig ram
250 gb harddrive
GeForce 8600m GS Graphics card
HDMI socket
15.4 inch screen
WLan card
Flash-card reader

CORRECTION: I've looked into the prices in Acer Australia and actually it's still around the $1900s if you were to buy it there. We Brits get bargains you don't, I guess. Tough luck. It's still a nice machine though, and the Graphics card boost is definitely something to consider.